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What you’ll need:
- Gum paste tinted in desired colour
- Blossom cutters
- Practice board
- Roll and cut mat
- 9 inch fondant roller
- Ball tool
- Thin and thick shaping foam
- Tapered spatula
- Gum glue adhesive
- Toothpicks
- 2 1/4 inch dowel rods
- Foam cup
Making the Rose Base
1. To make the rose base, take a small amount of gum paste and roll it out to ¼ inch thick on a lightly dusted roll and cut mat. You can get the exact width by positioning the slightly flattened gum paste in between two ¼ inch dowel rods.
2. Use a small Wilton blossom cutter to cut out each rose base. Roll each cut out blossom shape into a ball.
3. Roll one side of the ball to elongate it into a teardrop shape. Dip the end of a toothpick into gum glue adhesive and insert into the wide end of the teardrop all the way to the point, but without piecing through it. This is your rose base. The height of the rose base should be the same size as the distance across the base of one of the petals of the large Wilson blossom cutter. Place the toothpick with the rose base into the bottom of an inverted foam cup to dry. This should dry for at least 24 hours before making the rose.
Making the Rose
1. On a lightly dusted roll and cut mat, roll out gum paste paper thin (you should be able to read through it). Use the largest blossom cutter to cute three blossom shapes. Place two blossoms under your practice boards flap while you work one the remaining blossom.
2. Use spatula to cut a ½ inch slit between each petal toward the center of the blossom. Place the blossom on a lightly dusted thin foam. Hold the ball tool like a pencil and position it on the foam, just touching the edge of the gum paste blossom. Slide the ball tool around the petal, keeping it mostly on the foam to “outline” and thin the petal edge. The ball tool should only touch the edge of the petals.
3. Place the blossom on a lightly dusted thick foam, and using the ball tool, cup the center by lightly pressing the tool in the center of the blossom. Brush the center of the blossom with gum glue adhesive and insert the toothpick of the already prepared rose base into the center of the blossom. Thread the toothpick through the blossom so that the blossom is up to the bottom of the base.
4. Now, I want you to visualize. The blossom is a person. There is a head, two arms, and two legs (No seriously). Brush the head of the blossom with gum glue adhesive and wrap it around the rose base. Then, brush one arm and an opposite leg about halfway up with the adhesive and attach to cover center wrap. Repeat with last two petals, centering over seams of the previous two petals.
5. Prepare the next blossom as you did the last, but this time, when you place it on the thick foam, cup the two arm petals using the ball tool, then flip over and cup the head and legs, and then flip back over and cup the center Brush the center with the adhesive and thread the toothpick through the it. Brush the two arm petals halfway up, and attach, centering them over the seams of the two petals of the previous row. Brush the remaining petals with gum glue adhesive halfway up and attach, spacing them evenly around the flower.
6. Prepare the next blossom as you did the last, but this time when you cup the petals on the thick foam, cup all five petals, then flip over to cup the center Thread the toothpick through the center brushed with adhesive. Brush each petal halfway up and gently press the petals down, covering the seams of the previous row.
Add leaves and a calyx to complete the rose.
The Jill of all Trades 